Banjo



April 19 1927.

A. J. BOUCHARD ammo Filed July 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr.19, 1927.

UNITED STATES ARSENE .T. BOUCHARD, or PROVIDENCE, Rnonn VISLAND.

BANJO.

Application filed July 10, 1925. semi in. 42,715.

My invention relates to banjos and similar stringed instruments.

The essential objects of my invention are t6 enable the tightening ofthe head without moving the same out of the original plane ofthe lingerboard; to enable the tension the with accuracy; to facilitate theintroduction and removal of the head; to accommodate the tail piece tothe strings; to increase the Volume and resonance of the instrument; andto strengthen the construction. U Other objects and advantages willhereinafter be apparent. I I 7 Tothe above ends essentially, but notexclusively, invention consist in such parts in such combinations ofparts as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specificationFigure is a top planview of a banjo or similar instrument embodying myinvention,

Fi ure 2, a rear elevation of the same showing parts thereof brokenaway,

3, a fragmentary section on line 3''3 of Figure 2, v

Figure fit, an enlarged side elevation of the rear of the instrument,

Figure a detail perspective of the pivoted portion of the wings andFigiire 6, a perspective of the upper portion of the tail piece.

Like reference letters indicate like parts thriiiighout the views.

In its present and preferred. form my banjo has a body 10 comprising abroad metallic outer sectional hinged tension ring fi fi r se e 4. h ngeby pintlesi 14: .in perforated lugs15 upon the u andlower portions ofthe forward end 0? the segments. Adjacent the rear ends ofthesegmentsare lugs 17 havingthreaded perforations adapted to receive abinding screw 19. Abo ve the lugs are corresponding lugs 2l provid'edwith perforations 22, one of which has a thread 23 to receive a thread24 upon a bolt or pivot pin 25. p The intermediate portion of the innerface of the ring 11 is provided with a broad annular recess 28formingaresultant angular annular shoulder 29 upon the upper margin ofthe ring a flange 30 upon its lower margin. The body 10 includes aninner broad metallic body rim 32 relatively to which the ring 11 moves.Upon an intermediate portion of the formeris an externalannular shoulder34 extending into the recess 28. a e

The usual head 36 is preferably of membrane, parchment, skin, or thelike, with its margin extending between the body rim 32 and the side oftheshoulder 29, and its skin or flesh hoop 38 extending into the recess28 and abutting against the bottom or shoulder 29. An annular series ofperforations/l0 vertically disposed in the flange l 30 have threads 41engaging the threads 42 of clamp ing screws 43 whose inner ends bearagainst the bottomof the shoulder 34 within the recess 28; By turningthese screws the ring 11 drawn downwardly relatively to the ring 321andthe head 36 is tightened. V p

A guide for the sound waves comprises an internal annular horizontalplate 45 fiXed solder or otherwise to the upper portionoi the ring 32spaced from thehead, integral with those inner edge is a downwardlyflaring wall 46 engaging the bottom portion of the ring 32. J The neck48 has upon its outer end the usual peg head 49 carrying the tuning pegs50. The top of the neck constitutes the usual finger board 51. The neckin this instance comprises an upper or body section 52 and a lower orbase section se arat ed from each other by a metallic horizontally dis--posed tongue 54 integral with a curved attaching plate 55 fixed byrivets 56 to the inner face of the ring 32, and passing through anopening 57 in thelatter and through a guide slot 58 in the outer ringl1. This slot permits adjustable vertical movement ofthe ring 11relatively to thiizg'ed ring 32. The base section of the neck andthe-body section are attached respectively to the tongue fiby a screw 60and bolts 61, in the base and body respectively. The tongue is providedwith a threaded opening 62 for the screw 60, and with holes 63 for thebolts I d e H I ,The tail piece consists of an angle plate 64 comprisinga horizontal string attaching portion 65, and adepending free portion 66and provided at the junction of the portions with atransverse hole 67 toloosely receive the pivot pin 25. In the portion 66 is an adjustingscrew 68 whose thread 69 engages a thread 7 0 in a hole 71'. The endofthe screw bears against the bodyof the banjo. Above the hole 71 is ahole 72 through which extends a post or screw 73 upon the banjo bodywhich has a thread 74 to engage a check nut 75 engaging the outer faceof the plate. The screw 73 is a check screw for holding the tail piecein adjusted position. The upper face of the portion 65 is provided withoblong recesses 77 separated by a partition 78 provided with transverseslots 79. Leading to the forward ends of the recesses 77 are hori'zontal slots 80 into which lead vertical longitudinal slots 81. In therear portions of the depressions 77 are posts 83 for the reception ofloops 84 upon the ends of strings 85 which pass through the slots 80after admis sion through the slots 81. In Figures 1 and 3 the stringsare shown so attached. In case the wires have knots 86 upon their endsinstead of loops 84. the posts 83 are not used, but the end of thestring after passing through the slot 80 is placed in a slot 79 with itsknot 86, as shown in Figure 6, abutting against the side of thepartition 78. The usual bridge 87 on the head supports the strings.

A sound box 88 has the usual wooden bottom or floor 89 and metal side90. This is of greater diameter than the head of the banjo and isattached to a depending portion of the ring 32 by radially disposedscrews 91 passing through holes 92 and 93 respectively in the side andrim, and covered in this instance with spacing sleeves 94, as shown inFigure 2.

A sound board is provided consisting of a wooden plate 96 resting upon ametallic spacing ring 97 upon the floor 89 of the sounding box. Theplate is held in osition by a pin 98 extending through the ring andthrough holes 99 and 100 in the centers of the floor and plate. Broadheads 103 and 104: upon the ends of the pin bear tightly against thefloor and plate. The latter is capable of vibration by the sound waveswhich escape thence upwardly.

1. In a banjo, a body comprising an outer sectional hinged tension ringhaving an annular recess with spaced-apart shoulders, an inner body rim,the said ring being movable relatively thereto, the said rim having ashoulder extended into said recess, and means engaging the shoulder ofthe said rim to as sist in securing the rim in cooperative relation withsaid ring.

2. In a banjo. a rim, a sectional hinged tension ring embracing the rim,a binding screw connecting the free ends of adjacent segments. aninternal annular shoulder on the ring. a head extending between the rimand shoulder, a peripheral flesh hoop on the head below the shoulder,and a neck carried by the ring.

3. In a banjo, a body rim, a sectional hinged tension ring embracing therim and transversely slidable thereon comprising segments pivotallyconnected with each other, a

screw connecting the ends of the ring, an internal annular shoulder onthe ring, a head on the rim engaged by the shoulder, clamping screwscarried by the rim supporting the rim, and a neck carried by the ring.

1. In a banjo, a body rim, an annular shoulder upon an intermediateportion of the rim, a vertically slidable ring provided with an internalannular recess to loosely receive the shoulder, an internal annularshoulder upon the upper margin of the ring, an internal annular flangeupon the ring below the first mentioned shoulderprovided with an annularseries of threaded perforations, clamping screws in said perforationsengaging the first shoulder, a head on the body rim extending betweenthe ring and rim, a pcripheral enlargement on the head below the secondshoulder, and a neck carried by the inner rim.

5. In a banjo, the combination with the body, neck, and head, of a soundbox of greater diameter than the body carried by the body, and avibratory plate fixed in the bottom of the box and spaced therefrom.

6. In a banjo, the combination With the body, neck. and head, of a soundbox comprising a floor and a side exterior of the body, membersconnecting the side and body, a spacing ring resting upon the floorcentrally thereof, a plate resting upon the ring, and a pin passingthrough the ring fixed to the floor and plate.

'7. In a banjo, a body rim, a ring provided with a slot, a head engagedby the ring, a plate fixed to the body rim, a tongue on the plateextending through the slot, a neck and a base below the tongue, andthreaded members in the body and base engaging the tongue.

8. In a banjo, a body, a metal tongue carried by the body and a neckcomprising a base attached to the bottom of the tongue and a body fixedto the top of the tongue and threaded means in the body and baseengaging the tongue.

9. In a banjo, a body rim, a ring, a head engaged by said rim, ahorizontal annular plate fast to the upper portion of the body rimspaced from the head, and a flaring wall. fixed to the annular plate andto the bottom of the body rim.

10. In a banjo, a neck, a body, a head fixed to the top of the body, ahorizontal annular plate carried by the body below the head, a flaring*all depending from the plate, a sound box mounted upon the body and extending below the body. and a plate in the sound box below the flaringwall and spaced from the bottom of the box.

11. In a banjo. the combination with the body, head and neck, of a tailpiece upon the body. provided with depressions, with horizontal slotsextending to the depressions, and with longitudinal slots extending tothe horizonal slots, and a longitudinal partition body, a hole in thefree portion adjacent the 10 between the depressions provided with firsthole, a post on the body extending lransverse Slots. through the secondhole and provided With 12. In a banjo, a body, a neck, a head, athreaded end, and a nut engaging the lugs on the body, a pivot pin inthe lugs, an threaded end of the post and bearing against angular tailpiece comprising a string atthe outer face of said free portion. 15taching portion and a depending free. por- In testimony whereof I havealfixed my tion, a hole in the free portion, an adjustsignature. ingscrew in the hole bearing against the ARSENE J. BOUCHARD.

